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Widener battled toe-to-toe with Lebanon Valley in both teams opener at the Commonwealth Conference Tournament, only to give up a controversial run in the bottom of the seventh inning for a 1-0 loss in Grantham, PA.
The game featured another great pitching duel between Widener junior Kim Dougherty (Belle Mead, NJ) and LVC’s Val Malizzia. The two hooked up just six days prior with the Pride notching a 1-0 triumph at Dougherty got both the victory and the RBI.
This contest had all the same drama and was decided in walk-off fashion. Kristen Palmerio lined a lead-off double in the seventh for second-seeded Lebanon Valley (27-12) and was sacrificed to third by Laura Snyder. Chelsea Kehr followed with an infield single, stole second and Chelsea Artz walked to load the bases with one out.
Kerri Datres followed with a fly ball to right field that was caught by senior Rachel O’Leary (Coatesville, PA), who fired home. It appeared to some that Palmerio left third base early, but the appeal was denied as she slid home with the winning run.
Dougherty (10-8) again pitched solidly for the No. 3 seeded Pride (22-17), yielding just one run and four hits over 6 2/3 innings with two strikeouts and two walks to snap her four-game winning streak.
Malizzia (13-4) permitted five hits and two walks over seven innings, facing just seven batters above the minimum. Kehr ended with two hits.
Widener on Saturday faces fourth-seeded Arcadia in an elimination game at 9:00 am.